by Rev. Dr. Amy Hodge
This New Year presents a new opportunity to attend to those routines that help us to stay healthy. Adequate exercise and nutritious food contribute to our daily health routines. Exercise is as easy as standing in your kitchen, living room, family room, or bedroom watching the television. There are exercise programs that market to persons over 50, or low impact exercise, or chair exercise. There are walking programs on YouTube that allow you to walk or exercise in a small space and gain 5000 steps in 30 minutes. AARP has exercise routines that can be watched on the phone or on the computer. Silver Sneakers has videos that allow you to exercise where you are. Any person can exercise at home in their pajamas if they want to. Gyms are very important to many people but there are thousands that cannot and will not set foot in any gym.
There is a program called QUIT NOW that will provide free information and coaching, by telephone or online to residents who want to quit smoking or using tobacco. Expert coaches are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This QUIT NOW program is for Virginia residents to successfully quit using all forms of tobacco, including smokeless products such as chewing tobacco. Your chances at quitting successfully are greatly increased when you participate in a supportive program. If you have teens who VAPE, this program will help you get support to help your teen quit vaping. This program is for anyone age 13 plus who is looking to quit tobacco or looking to help a loved one quit. The program is available in Spanish and English with translation services for over 140 other languages. It is free and confidential to use the Online contact at QuitNOw.net/Virginia or the Quitline number 1-800-Quit-Now (1-800-784-8669); for Spanish, 1-855-335-3569 and for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community, 1-877-777-6534.
The Roanoke Alleghany Health District produces a Weekly Health Update Newsletter. Covid-19 activity shows some improvement in the number of people hospitalized over the last week; however, the number of laboratory-confirmed cases is stable. All localities served by Roanoke Alleghany Health District (RCAHD) are currently in MEDIUM or LOW transmission. There have been 712 deaths in the Alleghany District and 436 deaths in Roanoke City Health District. In Virginia and across the country, Omicron variant XBB.1.5 continues increasing at the fastest rate, now representing over 70% of cases in the mid-Atlantic region.
Since January 1, 2022, RCAHD has received reports of 93 cases of hepatitis A. It was advised to get a Hepatitis A vaccine if dining out in the community was to remain safe. Any adult can get an appointment to receive a HEP-A shot from the Health Department on Williamson Road. Please call and make an appointment at 540-857-7662. You may also contact your local pharmacy to inquire about an appointment for a Hep-A shot.
Lastly, the shelf life of many home COVID Test Kits has been extended, thanks to research indicating the test has a longer shelf life than known when first authorized. More information is available at CDC.gov. Virginia Department of Health provides an RCAHD Newsletter. Dr. Cynthia Marrow our Health Director along with RCAHD staff provided the information for this newsletter.
